SOUTH DAKOTA HORT. SOCIETY MEETING, 1901. 107 



February and March starts thousands on the road to death (by sun- 

 scald). He always tries to get a branch started low down on the 

 south side of his apple trees. 



In a discussion on a windbreak for the orchard, the opinion 

 prevailed that a windbreak did more harm to the fruit trees by sap- 

 ping- the ground, than it benefited them. This discussion, more than 

 anything else, revealed to me that the drought conditions of South 

 Dakota away from the influence of the Missouri river are still more 

 severe than in southwestern Minnesota. 



Prof. Hansen thought it not best to cut back fruit trees at the 

 time of planting, but rather to thin out the branches, as the strongest 

 buds being at the ends, if these were all cut off only weak buds 

 would remain, and the trees would not make as good a growth. As 

 to windbreaks, the professor stated that the rule was, a tree gave a 

 protection of sixteen feet to every foot in height, or at the ratio of 

 sixteen to one, and was inclined to favor the windbreak for the or- 

 chard. 



The Northwestern Greening was well spoken of by a few, but 

 it was very plain from the papers and discussions that the Wealthy 

 apple was fully as popular in South Dakota as it is in Minnesota. 



C. W. Gurney's paper on "Propagation of the Plum and Apple," 

 says it is as important to have hardy roots on trees as it is to have 

 hardy tops. In the nursery two years ago we found but little injury 

 above the ground, but the roots were killed. "Talk about their root- 

 killing because the ground was dry ! That is not the case ; many trees 

 froze up in mud, and they thawed out in mud, but the roots were 

 killed just the same as the others. The yellow Siberian seedlings 

 did not root-kill." He recommends using no stock for grafting the 

 apple except the yellow Siberian seedlings, and they should be 

 budded or grafted at the ground surface. Of the plum, we want no 

 trees on Marianna or Myrobolan stocks ; wants only the Americana 

 to graft plums on, but says the sand cherry will do for stock and is 

 perfectly hardy. 



Mr. Whiting says trees often root-kill worse when the 

 ground is wet. Trees sometimes root-kill by dry freezing, but thinks 

 starvation on account of drought weakens the trees, and they fall an 

 easy victim. 



Wednesday Evening Session. — W. B. White, of Olivet, reports 

 the Loudon raspberry not hardy without winter protection ; white 

 grubs destroyed many strawberry plants in new setting ; but few 

 apples will stay on the tree unless it has a good windbreak. 



Mr. E. D. Cowles and others told of agents or dealers taking a 

 large number of orders for Russian hedge plants and honey locust, 

 promising them Russian olives (Oleagnus), Russian pea trees 

 (Caragana) or Russian osage. One man gave $ioo for enough 

 plants to set lOO rods, and in every case the common Osage orange 

 was delivered instead. Prof. Hansen said there was no such plant 

 as Russian osage, and that the osage orange would not live long 

 enough in South Dakota to injure fruit or anything else. 



R. L. Kelley, of Worthing, reported trying to raise apples for 

 the past fifteen years, but has yet to mature the first specimen, and 

 advises those who want to grow apples to move to Oregon or to 



